Network system and communication method / Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha

Title: Network system and communication method.Abstract: A first terminal (100A) receives a handwriting instruction and a pen type, and transmits the handwriting instruction and the pen type to a server (400). The server (400) refers to a memory to convert the handwriting instruction from the first terminal (100A) into drawing data used for displaying a handwriting image corresponding to the pen type from the first terminal (100A), and transmit the drawing data to the first terminal (100A). The first terminal (100A) displays the handwriting image corresponding to the pen type based on the drawing data from the server (400). ...

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to a network system including at least a first communication terminal and a server capable of communicating with each other via a network, and a communication method, and particularly to a network system having a first communication terminal and a server transmitting and receiving handwriting data to and from each other, and a communication method.

BACKGROUND

There is a known network system in which a communication terminal connectable to an Internet network exchanges contents data with a server. There is also a known network system (server client system) in which a plurality of communication terminals connectable to an Internet network exchange contents data with one another via a server.

Furthermore, there is also a known network system in which a plurality of communication terminals connectable to an Internet network directly exchange contents data with one another, which may be, for example, a P2P (Peer to Peer) system, and the like.

In such network systems, communication terminals transmit and receive handwriting image data, text data, photographic data, and the like to and from each other. Then, each of the communication terminals causes a display to display a handwriting image, text and a photograph based on the received data.

For example, Japanese Patent National Publication No. 2006-511112 (PTL 1) discloses a mobile graphic display device. According to Japanese Patent National Publication No. 2006-511112 (PTL 1), the mobile graphic display device has a touch-panel display screen connected to a touch-panel processor. The touch-panel processor generates first ink data showing an input drawing operation performed on the touch-panel display screen. This device includes a graphic display and a graphic image processor displaying an image showing at least the first ink data on the graphic display screen in combination with the handwriting image that has been already produced. A wireless communication processor transmits the first ink data from the mobile graphic display device to another graphic display device and receives another ink data showing another drawing operation from another graphic display device. In accordance with the common reference, the graphic display processor generates a representation of another ink data for a representation of the first ink data. Consequently, the mobile graphic display device is configured to exchange the handwriting image with another device.

CITATION LIST

Patent Literature

PTL 1: Japanese Patent National Publication No. 2006-511112

SUMMARY

However, in order to display the handwriting image drawn by a plurality of types of pens, it is necessary that at least one of the terminal receiving a handwriting instruction and the terminal displaying a handwriting image includes data used for converting (or changing) the handwriting instruction into a handwriting image (the data will be hereinafter also referred to as extension pen data) depending on the type of the pen used. Accordingly, companies operating the service could not easily add and update this extension pen data.

The present invention has been made to solve the above-described problems. An object of the present invention is to allow the communication terminal to receive a handwriting instruction corresponding to the pen type that is not adapted for the communication terminal itself and an instruction for selecting the pen type, and also allow the communication terminal to display a handwriting image corresponding to the pen type that is not adapted for the communication terminal itself.

SOLUTION TO PROBLEM

According to an aspect of the present invention, a network system including a first terminal and a server is provided. The first terminal includes a first communication interface; a touch panel for receiving a handwriting instruction and a pen type; and a first processor for transmitting the handwriting instruction and the pen type to the server via the first communication interface and causing the touch panel to display a handwriting image corresponding to the pen type based on drawing data from the server. The server includes a server communication interface; a memory associating a rule for conversion from the handwriting instruction into the drawing data with the pen type and storing the rule and the pen type; and a server processor referring to the memory for converting the handwriting instruction from the first terminal into the drawing data used for displaying the handwriting image corresponding to the pen type from the first terminal and transmitting the drawing data to the first terminal via the server communication interface.

Preferably, the network system further includes a second terminal. The server processor transmits the drawing data also to the second terminal via the server communication interface. The second terminal includes a display, a second communication interface, and a second processor for causing the display to display the handwriting image corresponding to the pen type based on the drawing data from the server.

Preferably, the network system further includes a second terminal. The first processor transmits the drawing data to the second terminal via the first communication interface. The second terminal includes a display, a second communication interface, and a second processor for causing the display to display the handwriting image corresponding to the pen type based on the drawing data from the first terminal.

Preferably, the server processor transmits pen data showing a plurality of pen types adapted for the server to the first terminal via the server communication interface. The first processor causes the touch panel to display the plurality of pen types in a selectable manner based on the pen data.

Preferably, the first processor causes the touch panel to display a handwriting image corresponding to a prescribed pen type from a time when the handwriting instruction is received until a time when the handwriting image corresponding to the pen type is displayed.

According to another aspect of the present invention, a communication method in a network system including a first terminal and a server is provided. The server includes a memory for associating a rule for conversion from a handwriting instruction into drawing data with a pen type and storing the rule and the pen type. The communication method includes the steps of the first terminal receiving the handwriting instruction and the pen type; the first terminal transmitting the handwriting instruction and the pen type to the server; the server referring to the memory for converting the handwriting instruction from the first terminal into the drawing data used for displaying a handwriting image corresponding to the pen type from the first terminal; the server transmitting the drawing data to the first terminal; and the first terminal displaying the handwriting image corresponding to the pen type based on the drawing data from the server.

ADVANTAGEOUS EFFECTS OF INVENTION

As described above, the network system and the communication method according to the present invention allow the communication terminal to receive a handwriting instruction corresponding to the pen type that is not adapted for the communication terminal itself and an instruction for selecting the pen type, and also allow the communication terminal to display a handwriting image corresponding to the pen type that is not adapted for the communication terminal itself.

How KEYWORD MONITOR works... a FREEservice from FreshPatents1. Sign up (takes 30 seconds). 2. Fill in the keywords to be monitored. 3. Each week you receive an email with patent applications related to your keywords. Start now! - Receive info on patent apps like Network system and communication method or other areas of interest.###

Data source: patent applications published in the public domain by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). Information published here is for research/educational purposes only. FreshPatents is not affiliated with the USPTO, assignee companies, inventors, law firms or other assignees. Patent applications, documents and images may contain trademarks of the respective companies/authors. FreshPatents is not responsible for the accuracy, validity or otherwise contents of these public document patent application filings. When possible a complete PDF is provided, however, in some cases the presented document/images is an abstract or sampling of the full patent application for display purposes. FreshPatents.com Terms/Support -g2-0.1995

20130207|20130036358|network system and communication method|A first terminal (100A) receives a handwriting instruction and a pen type, and transmits the handwriting instruction and the pen type to a server (400). The server (400) refers to a memory to convert the handwriting instruction from the first terminal (100A) into drawing data used for displaying a handwriting |Sharp-Kabushiki-Kaisha